Osaki S
Department of Life Science, Shimane University, Matsue, Japan.
Int J Biol Macromol. 1999 Mar-Apr;24(2-3):283-7. doi: 10.1016/s0141-8130(98)00091-9.
Drag-lines play a role as a lifeline for a spider to move and fall from trees. The mechanical strength of the drag-lines may be related to the spider's weight since spiders hang from them. The safety coefficient of drag-lines as the lifeline should be considered for the mechanical strength of the drag-lines consisting of double filaments. It was found that the elastic limit strength and breaking strength increase linearly with spider's weight, about twice the spider's weight corresponds to the elastic limit strength, and about six times the spider's weight corresponds to the breaking strength of drag-lines. In other words, the spider's weight corresponds to the elastic limit strength for the single filament. This means that a spider can act safely by one filament even though another filament is broken down. It should be an outcome from spider's long history of 400-million-years evolution. These findings may give a maximal efficiency for the mechanical strength of spider's drag-lines.
拖丝作为蜘蛛在树上移动和坠落时的生命线发挥着作用。由于蜘蛛悬挂在拖丝上,拖丝的机械强度可能与蜘蛛的体重有关。作为生命线的拖丝的安全系数应根据由双股细丝组成的拖丝的机械强度来考虑。研究发现,弹性极限强度和断裂强度随蜘蛛体重呈线性增加,约为蜘蛛体重两倍时对应弹性极限强度,约为蜘蛛体重六倍时对应拖丝的断裂强度。换句话说,蜘蛛的体重对应单根细丝的弹性极限强度。这意味着即使另一根细丝断裂,蜘蛛依靠一根细丝也能安全行动。这应该是蜘蛛长达4亿年进化历程的结果。这些发现可能为蜘蛛拖丝的机械强度提供最大效率。